Renesas rolls dual-type power MOSFETProduct News 7/31/2008 Post a commentDesigned to make DC/DC converters more efficient for laptop PCs and communication devices, Renesas' latest power MOSFET boasts a chip mounting area that is half the size of existing dual-package power MOSFET configurations.

ASMI sells inspection gear unitNews & Analysis 7/31/2008 Post a commentUnder pressure on a number of fronts, ASM International N.V. has signed a letter of intent to sell its majority-owned subsidiary NanoPhotonics AG, a supplier of inspection gear.

Rood Technology changes nameNews & Analysis 7/31/2008 Post a commentRood Testhouse International N.V. announced that its subsidiary Rood Technology has been renamed to RoodMicrotech. This comes soon after Rood Technology took over Microtec GmbH (Stuttgart, Germany).

IBM reveals plan to acquire French software houseNews & Analysis 7/31/2008 Post a commentILOG SA (Gentilly, France) announced its board of directors has received and approved a proposed acquisition agreement from IBM Corp. (Armonk, New York). If finalized, the transaction would enable IBM to combine its business process management, business optimization, and service oriented architecture technologies with ILOG’s business rules management systems software.

Debug engine supports new 32-bit automotive MCUs from Freescale and STProduct News 7/31/2008 Post a commentAt the same time as the launch of the automotive microcontroller families SPC560xx/SPC563xx from STMicroelectronics and MPC560/MPC563xx from Freescale, pls Programmierbare Logik & Systeme (Lauda, Germany) announces the availability of its Universal Debug Engine (UDE) 2.4, a complete debug and test environment especially for the specific features of these new Power Architecture 32-bit devices.

Local designers drive Chinese IC market growthNews & Analysis 7/30/2008 Post a commentSemiconductors designed for consumption in China is forecast to expand more than 60 percent between 2007 and 2012 driven by the need to customize products for the local market although total Chinese IC consumption is seen growing at a slower 7.7 percent rate during the same period.

Video: When the fab shuts downNews & Analysis 7/30/2008 Post a commentMatt, a young process engineer at the Hynix DRAM fab in Eugene, Oregon, shares his views about the human impact of the Korean company's decision in late July to close its only U.S. manufacturing plant.

AMD to sell consumer lines, says analystNews & Analysis 7/30/2008 Post a commentAmid a possible plan to spin-off its manufacturing unit, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) may sell its consumer and handset chip lines from its ATI subsidiary, according to an analyst, who said Broadcom Corp. could be part of the mix.